A resolutely locals’ bar just slightly off the centre, The Royal Blenheim has been kitted out in a modern style.

The Venue
The Royal Blenheim, which is a red brick building on the corner of Pembroke Street and St Ebbes Street, wasn’t refurbished that long ago. There’s a green sign outside and inside it’s a small-to-medium-sized, open plan, quite light and airy traditional pub which has been modernly refitted. The bar is on the left as you come in and the place has brass rails, small lamps and tiled floors.

As well as tables and chairs there are also dark green banquettes and there are booths down the side and a raised area with small lamps and off-white and dark pink walls. There are quiz machines, ciggie machines and fruit machines and there are plasma screens showing sport. There’s a quiz on Wednesday nights and a bloke just left a pair of step ladders here, in case you find them.

The People
While other bars and pubs may be busy with tourists and students, The Royal Blenheim is where true Oxford locals hang out for a few after work drinks or to stop off during a Saturday shopping trip.

The Food and Drink
Being an Everard’s pub there’s Everard’s Sunchaser, Tiger and Beacon all on tap, alongside Marston’s Merry Monk, Guinness, Grolsch and Strongbow. In bottles there’s Peroni, Erdinger, Budweiser, Corona, Leffe and Beck’s. On the menu you’ve got salads (including Caesar salad with parmesan shavings), omelettes and open sandwiches (around £4.75 each), as well as jacket potatoes and pies. Half a roast chicken is £6.25. To finish off they do Irish coffee with Jameson’s.

The Last Word
Local Oxfordians need somewhere to call their own and, in this part of town, this is it.

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